Recently, there has been an increase in the use of weight training by men and women athletes. Top competitors in almost every sport commonly use weights to increase strength, muscular endurance and flexibility, and to facilitate recovery from injury. Weight training is one of the most versatile of all athletic activities. It can be used for a variety of purposes: general conditioning, bodybuilding, increasing strength, improving physical appearance, minimizing fat, strengthen weaknesses and preventing injuries. It is an excellent cornerstone for improved performance in almost every sport and can be a foundation in the development of good health. General conditioning programs enable a person to develop muscle tone, improve circulation, start building strength and endurance, start replacing body fat with muscle tissue, develop the capacity to work harder and mental well-being.
The abdominal muscle group is one of the major muscle groups of the human body. As the abdominal muscles become stronger, the stomach becomes flatter. Weight training is one of the fastest, easiest and best ways to improve shape, tone and strength of the abdominal muscles.
Isokinetic or equal speed resistance weight training exercise machines have been developed. These machines increase resistance throughout the exercise movement so that a person moves the maximum weight throughout the entire range of motion. Accommodating resistance machines provide resistance proportionate to the effort applied to it by the person using the machine.
Most modern health clubs, spas and gyms are equipped with universal-type multi-station machines. These multi-station universal gym machines have stations for exercising all the major muscle groups of the body. They are typically built of chrome-plated tubular steel pipe with an adjustable weight stack of 10 lbs to 500 lbs depending upon the body area to be exercised. The weight is adjusted by placing a selector pin at the desired poundage.
Isokinetic exercise machines, such as Nautilus machines, are used to exercise muscles of the body evenly throughout the complete range of motion. These machines provide accommodating resistance or perfectly balanced resistance that is constant throughout the entire range of motion, from full stretch to complete contraction. Throughout the entire movement, the resistance is automatically adjusted by an off-center cam, with the aim of maximum resistance throughout the range of motion. These machines provide variable resistance that is balanced to conform exactly to the normal strength curve of the working muscles.
Computerized weight-training machines are self-instructing, non-impact machines that have a set-up test to automatically determine the correct weight to use. The user programs the amount of time of the exercise and the degree of difficulty. The computer varies machine resistance to provide interval training. These machines provide negative resistance whereby the user not only lifts the weight up, but also must resist the weight as it move down.